The excellent gross electrical efficiency of large conventional thermoelectric power plants, as well as the current tendency to further enlarge these plants, is well known.
At the same time and for specific applications, especially in the highly industrialized countries, a trend exists towards the construction of small plants with power below 50 MW. Plants of this type, using conventional thermodynamic cycles, generally use renewable energies, municipal wastes or waste heat, and are characterized by their low efficiency.